Steam condenser for retort and method

ABSTRACT

A steam condenser for a system for exhausting steam from retorts of the type used for canning foods. In such canning operations a constant stream of steam is exhausted from the retort. The condenser receives steam through a pipe which acts to restrict the flow and the steam expands into a manifold with a substantial reduction in the temperature and rate of flow of steam. The steam flows longitudinally of the manifold and enters tangentially into the top of a cylindrical condensing chamber. Water is sprayed upwardly in a &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;solid cone&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; to the top of the chamber against the manifold wall and throughout the zone where the steam is discharged. There is also a downward &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;solid spray cone&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; projected toward the bottom of the chamber. The steam is condensed and the water and the condensate are discharged by gravity from the bottom of the chamber.

Unite De Voe States Patent 1 [11] 3,852,508 [4 1 Dec. 3, 1974 STEAM CONDENSER FOR RETORT AND [73] Assignee: United States Tobacoo Company,

Greenwich, Conn.

22 Filed: Feb. 9, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 331,259

3/1941 Kleinschmidt 261/79 A Primary ExaminerLeonidas Vlachos Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Curtis, Morris & Safford [57] ABSTRACT A steam condenser for a system for exhausting steam from retorts of the type used for canning foods. In such canning operations a constant stream of steam is exhausted from the retort. The condenser receives steam through a pipe which acts to restrict the flow and the steam expands into a manifold with a substantial reduction in the temperature and rate of flow of steam. The steam flows longitudinally of the manifold and enters tangentially into the top of'a cylindrical condensing chamber. Water is sprayed upwardly in a solid cone to the top of the chamber against the manifold wall and throughout the zone where the steam is discharged. There is also a downward solid spray cone projected toward the bottom of the chamher. The steam is condensed and the water and the condensate are discharged by gravity from the bottom of the chamber.

11 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEL DEB i 74 1 STEAM CONDENSER FOR RETORT AND METHOD This invention relates to condensing steam from a re tort of the type used in canning foods, and more particularly to systems and methods for discharging steam from such retorts.

An object of this invention is to provide improved methods and means for discharging steam from retorts of the type used in canning foods. A further object is to condense the steam from such retorts in an improved manner which overcomes difficulties encountered in the past. A further object is to carry out the above with apparatus which is efficient, dependable and adaptable Manifoldlt) has a tapered discharge end (see FIGS.

7 pressure drops-from the retort to manifold 10. The

to various conditions of operation and use. These'and other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out below.

In the canning of various foods, the cans are placed in a retort to which steam is supplied to provide heating under carefully controlled conditions. A stream of through the control instrument line. Also, the open discharge of the streams of steam produce high humidity ambient conditions and noise, and also represents a substantial loss of heat and water. It is an object of the present invention to provide a system for discharging the steam from retorts in such a manner so as to avoid theundesirable features of the past arrangement.

Referring to the drawings showing one embodiment of the invention:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the steam condenser;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section of the condenser of FIG. 1 of the wall on the line 22 of FIG. 3; and,

FIG. 3 is a vertical'section on-the line 3-3-of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, condenser 2'has a vertical axis condensing chamber enclosed by a cylindrical side wall 4', a top wall 6 and a bottom wall 8 (FIG. 3). A manifold 10 is mounted in wall 4 a short distance below top wall 6, and receives steam from the retort (not shown) through a main steamdischarge line or pipe 12 and a control discharge line or pipe l4."A water supply pipe 16 extends radially into the center of steam expands into the manifold and is discharged into the condensing chamber at aflow rate sufficient to produce the desired'cyclonic flow. The temperature of the water is raised by the addition of the heat from the steam, and its quantity is increased by addition of the condensate. The water is returned to the retort heating system. The pressure within the condensing chamber is maintained at substantially atmospheric pressure. For optimum operating conditions, the pressure in manifold 10 is slightly below atmospheric pressure, e.g., 0.25 to 1 inch water gauge. That condition is desirable in order to insure against the building up of back pressure which would interfere with the desired flow of the steam through pipes Hand 14 from aretort;

An important aspect of the invention is the elimination of noise, as contrasted with prior systems where the. steam is discharged and produces a high level of noise. Furthermore, the high humidity and temperature conditions produced by the open dischargeof steam have been'eliminated. The condensing of the steam also reduces the problem of providing additional water for the retort heating system. I

As an illustrative mode; of operation of the system," the spray water is supplied at a temperature of -160F the diameter of cylindrical wall 4 is of the order of 2-- feet. The term solid spray cone is used to identify a spray cone having a solid spray pattern extending the condenser,and a water discharge pipe 18 (see also FIG. 3) is mounted in bottom wall 8 co-axial with respectto the condensing chamber. A spray unit 20 is mounted in the center of the condenser chamber and is supported by an extension 22 of pipe 16. Two spray nozzles 24 and 26 are mounted on pipe 22 with their axes co-axial with respect to the condensing chamber and project solid spray cones" respectively toward the top and bottom of the condenser chamber. The spray cone 28 of spray nozzle is projected against the wall of manifold 10 and it envelopes the zone into which the steam is exhausted from the manifold. The downwardly directed spray cone 30 envelopes the entire bottom portion of the condensing chamber so as to effectively prevent the free passage of steam to the vicinity of the discharge opening of pipe 18.

throughout a wide spray angle, as distinguished from a hollow spray cone-in which the spray pattern is only within a zone along a conical surface. In the illustrative embodiment, the angle of the spray cone is At the center of the top wall 6 there is a tube 32 which is normally closed by a valve 34. Valve 34 can be opened to vent air from the condensing chamber when that is desirable. The valve may alsobe removed during servicing and testing to permit the. insertion. of

steam velocity and temperature measuring elements. However, during normal operation the Y condensing chamber is closed except for the supplying of steam and water and the discharge of water, as discussed above. v V

What is claimed is:

l. A method of discharging steam from a retort of the type which is used in canning foods, the steps of, passing a stream of the steam from the retort through a restricting passageway, expanding the stream of steam from said passageway into a manifold chamber of substantially increased cross-sectional area whereby there .is a reduction in the velocity and pressure and temperature, discharging the stream of steam longitudinally from said manifold chamberinto the upper portion of a condensing zone with a tangential flow which tends to produce a cyclonic action within said zone, spraying 3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said condensing zone is substantially cylindrical and the water and condensate are discharged downwardly along the axis of the zone.

4. The method as described in claim .3 wherein said water is sprayed in two spray cones, one of which is toward the top of said zone and the other of which is toward the bottom of said zone.

5. The method as described in claim 4 wherein said spray cones have their axes along the axis of said zone.

6. The method as described in claim 5 wherein the water for the spray enters at a temperature of 160F or less and is discharged at an increased temperature, and wherein said spray cones are at an angle of 125.

w 7. ln'a system for discharging steam from a retort of the type used in canning foods, the combination of, container means forming a condensing chamber, a generally cylindrical manifold mounted at the upper portion of said condensing chamber and adapted to receive the steam and to direct it along a tangential path within said chamber, liquid spray means mounted to direct a liquid spray throughout the zone where the steam is discharged from said manifold with the liquid and the steam tending to move downwardly within said condenser, said manifold having a heat-exchange wall portion exposed to said spray to thereby effect cooling of the steam flowing longitudinally through said manifold, and means to discharge the liquid and condensate with the aid of gravity from the lower portion of said condensing chamber.

8. Apparatus as described in claim 7 wherein said liquid spray means comprises two spray nozzles positioned centrally of said condensing chamber one of which directs a solid spray cone upwardly and the other of which directs a solid spray cone downwardly.

9. Apparatus as described in claim 8 wherein said manifold has a tapered outlet end with an extended portion spaced from'the adjacent horizontal wall of said container means.

10. Apparatus as described in claim 9' wherein said manifold is a substantial cylindrical tube of a diameter of the order of 3 inches and said container means is a vertical axis cylinder of a diameter of the order of 2 feet. I

11. Apparatus as described in claim 10 wherein said condensing chamber is substantially closed except for the passageways for supplying steam and liquid and for discharging the liquid and condensate. 

1. A METHOD OF DISCHARGING STEAM FROM A RETORT OF THE TYPE WHICH IS USED IN CANNING FOODS, THE STEPS OF, PASSING A STREAM OF THE STEAM FROM THE INERT THROUGH A RESTRICTING PASSAGEWAY EXPANDING THE STREAM OF STEAM FROM SAID PASSAGEWAY INTO A MANIFOLD CHAMBER OF SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED CORSS-SECTIONAL AREA WHEREBY THERE IS A REDUCTION IN THE VELOCITY AND PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE, DISCHARGING THE STREAM OF STEAM LONGITUDINALLY FROM SAID MANIFOLD CHAMBER INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF A CONDENSING ZONE WITH A TANGENTIAL FLOW WHICH TENDS TO PRODUCE A CYCLONIC ACTION WITHIN SAID ZONE, SPRAYING WATER THROUGHOUT THE PORTION OF SAID ZONE WITHIN WHICH THE STREAM IS DISCHARGED FROM SAID MANIFOLD CHAMBER AND ELSEWHERE WITHIN SAID ZONE TO CONDENSE THE STEAM ND PRODUCE CONDENSATE IN THE WATER, AND DISCHARGING THE WATER AND CONDENSATE WITH THE AID OF GRAVITY.
 2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said manifold chamber has a heat-exchanger wall exposed within said condensing zone, and wherein water is sprayed on said wall to thereby extract heat from the steam within said manifold chamber.
 3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said condensing zone is substantially cylindrical and the water and condensate are discharged downwardly along the axis of the zone.
 4. The method as described in claim 3 wherein said water is sprayed in two spray cones, one of which is toward the top of said zone and the other of which is toward the bottom of said zone.
 5. The method as described in claim 4 wherein said spray cones have their axes along the axis of said zone.
 6. The method as described in claim 5 wherein the water for the spray enters at a temperature of 160*F or less and is discharged at an increased temperature, and wherein said spray cones are at an angle of 125*.
 7. In a system for discharging steam from a retort of the type used in canning foods, the combination of, container means forming a condensing chamber, a generally cylindrical manifold mounted at the upper portion of said condensing chamber and adapted to receive the steam and to direct it along a tangential path within said chamber, liquid spray means mounted to direct a liquid spray throughout the zone where the steam is discharged from said manifold with the liquid and the steam tending to move downwardly within said condenser, said manifold having a heat-exchange wall portion exposed to said spray to thereby effect cooling of the steam flowing longitudinally through said manifold, and means to discharge the liquid and condensate with the aid of gravity from the lower portion of said condensing chamber.
 8. Apparatus as described in claim 7 wherein said liquid spray means comprises two spray nozzles positioned centrally of said condensing chamber one of which directs a solid spray cone upwardly and the other of which directs a solid spray cone downwardly.
 9. Apparatus as described in claim 8 wherein said manifold has a tapered outlet end with an extended portion spaced from the adjacent horizontal wall of said container means.
 10. Apparatus as described in claim 9 wherein said manifold is a substantial cylindrical tube of a diameter of the order of 3 inches and said container means is a vertical axis cylinder of a diameter of the order of 2 feet.
 11. Apparatus as described in claim 10 wherein said condensing chamber is substantially closed except for the passageways for supplying steam and liquid and for discharging the liquid and condensate. 